Since GitHub’s platform serves over 28 million developers and hosts around 85 million projects in an effort to create a community of collaboration and learning, this news is near and dear to our hearts at SmartBear.

Where SmartBear serves a hefty 6.5 million software professional in over 22,000 companies, many of our users are familiar with GitHub and regularly use it as a code repository. As the heart of the open source community, freelance developers and tech giants alike (Amazon, Google, and Apple come to mind) use GitHub for projects small and large.

So why Microsoft’s interest in GitHub in the first place? Microsoft is the top contributor to GitHub with roughly 1,300 employees pushing code. After recently shutting down its own version of GitHub, CodePlex, Microsoft mentioned that they had already moved most of their projects to GitHub, noting “GitHub is the de facto place for open source sharing and most open source projects have migrated there.”

For this reason, the acquisition isn’t totally surprising, and to many speculators, seemed like the logical next-step with Monday confirming rumors.

Upon hearing of Microsoft’s acquisition, we’ve noticed mixed reactions. Looking quickly at the poll on SmartBear’s Twitter, you can see the vote is split.

The majority of respondents at 38 percent take a neutral stance and don’t think much will change. Meanwhile, people are weighing in on each end of the spectrum with 34 percent foreseeing positive change and 28 percent feeling uncertain towards GitHub’s future.

Those that are faithful in Microsoft are hoping that it could provide the stability GitHub has been needing in recently turbulent times. Additionally, there is excitement around the ways that Microsoft will be able to elevate GitHub’s current capabilities by making it easier to develop in the Azure cloud, expanding the GitHub Marketplace, and integrating VS Code with GitHub support, for example.

Where does the skepticism come in? Some are afraid that GitHub could go the ways of Skype after Microsoft’s acquisition of it in 2011. After Microsoft made software updates to the popular video calling platform and refocused it for enterprise consumers and corporate markets, loyal Skype users began taking to the internet to complain, saying bugs in the UI had made Skype too difficult to use and it did not resemble the software they once loved.

A percentage of users have taken on such a strong stance against the acquisition that they are already flocking to rivals such as GitLab, possibly influenced by the #movingtogitlab hashtag and discounted packages.

Pursuing open source technologies such as PowerShell and Visual Studio Code, Microsoft has made notable contributions to the open source community in recent years thanks to Nadella. Additionally, by making the move to support more open source ventures such as embracing Linux, Microsoft has separated itself from its anti-OSS reputation in order to offer products and services that work on a variety of platforms developers are using.

Microsoft has begun the rollout of Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803) and with it comes a slew of new features, upgrades, and functionality improvements.

Devices are supposed to start automatically updating on May 8, but it also might take a few months for some. If you want to update, you can follow the instructions on Windows Central. You can also use CrossBrowserTesting, which already has the Windows 10 April Update and Edge 17 available for testing.

In the meantime, take a look at some of the newest features in Microsoft’s latest release.

The Best New Features in Windows 10 April Update and Microsoft Edge 17

Find which tab is blasting music – If you’re one of those people who has more than a few tabs open while you do work, you know the struggle of trying to find the one tab that’s playing audio. With autoplay being common on popular websites, there’s nothing more annoying than having your favorite song interrupted by a blaring video advertisement. Microsoft knows your struggles and wants to give you back control over your online experience, which is why they created an icon that shows you which tab is playing media that you can click to turn on or off.

Faster checkout – Nobody likes to enter their credit card, address, contact details, and all the other time-consuming information required every time they want to check out. That’s why Microsoft Edge has been upgraded to remember it all for you when you’re signed into your Microsoft account. Skip the hassle of manually entering your personal details and save it instead — just be warned it may fuel your online shopping addiction.

Check your grammar – Microsoft is revamping the way you interact with your documents. The new Grammar Tools button makes writing and editing a breeze in Reading View, while the Books tab allows you to save EPUB books, add bookmarks, and manage them in one place with reading suggestions. Additionally, using Fluent Design System elements, you get a cleaner experience and a UI that’s easy on the eyes.

Go back in Timeline – Replacing the Task View button comes Timeline, which shows you what apps are currently running as well as which ones you’ve used within the past month and includes a scrollbar to see past activity. Timeline syncs across devices that you’re signed into or that have Microsoft Edge so you can access your browser history and pick up where you left off whether you’re at work or on the go, on your laptop or mobile device.

Sharing is caring – Windows 10 now uses Bluetooth and WiFi to identify compatible devices for sharing, similar to AirDrop. This makes it simple to send documents, files, photos, and web pages to others without having to physically connect or send over messaging. This new feature is called Nearby Share, and we can imagine that it will be widely used among friends, co-workers, and pretty much anyone close by for easier sharing.

Other updates – While there are many shiny new features to the latest Microsoft OS, there are also many minor improvements to make your life easier. Some of these include a clutter-free printing option, upgraded Focus Assist, improved support for touchpad gestures, advanced scaling options to improve blurriness, privacy improvements, Cortana tweaks, support for progressive web apps, offline browsing, and new extensions — because sometimes it’s the little things.

Staying on Top of Testing

Alongside the browser wars, it’s also important to pay attention to major operating system updates. This is the fifth major Windows 10 release, and with the update, we also get an update to Edge’s rendering engine, which means the browser experience will differ from the last version.

As users have their operating systems and browsers automatically updated, it’s important to test on new configurations to ensure your application still works as intended. If your device is late to the rollout or you don’t have a Windows OS on hand, having a cloud testing tool like CrossBrowserTesting ensures you’re always prepared when the newest operating system and browser updates are announced.

If you have updated for the most recent update, make sure to also keep older OS versions as part of your cross-browser testing strategy and enjoy Microsoft’s enhanced browsing.

In the preview of the Windows 10 Creators Update, EdgeHTML 15 was introduced as the most recent browser updates. Among the most notable features were new tab management options and general improvements in performance and UI.

The updates include:

Tab Preview – This bar allows you to look at a preview of each of your open tabs on Edge without having to leave your current page.

Tab Set-Aside – Another tab management tool for when you have too many tabs open, these buttons help you set the tabs aside without closing out completely and losing your place.

Optimized Entertainment – There’s now 4K Ultra HD resolution for Netflix binges and the ability to download e-books from the Windows Store and view them on Edge in any Windows 10 device. Edge will also support 3D content, an industry which is estimated to grow by over 62 percent by 2020.

Better Than Chrome – Windows Edge 15 will block 9 percent more phishing sites and 13 percent more malware making it more secure than Google Chrome. The browser will also have a better battery life than Chrome, supporting up to 1.5 more hours of video, as well as boasting faster performance

Flash Click-to-Run – Adobe Flash content will not be loaded until the user clicks to play it, further enabling improved security and battery life

Web Payments – Preview support for Payment Request API will make checkout faster and easier by using the saved payment and shipping preferences from Microsoft Wallet